Technology Trends in 2022

A new year signals milestones in every field, especially when it comes to technology. As we begin to look ahead to 2022, it’s important to keep an eye out for how the tech sector will evolve and what trends we will see in that evolution. From 5G to artificial intelligence (AI), cryptocurrency and encryption to electric vehicles, the trends we notice now will likely dominate the business sector in the coming year and set the foundation for how technology will grow in the years to come. 

Here are some trends to keep an eye on as 2022 marches forward:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Once a far off theory and a prognosis for a dystopian future, many consumers now interact with AI on a daily basis. Artificial intelligence seeks to create a simulated or factual reasoning system in machines allowing them to alter or improve parts of their function as the need arises. From Alexa and Siri to customer service chatbots and self-driving cars, more and more fundamental parts of business and the general populace's daily lives are linked with some form of artificial intelligence. We can easily expect to see more instances of machine learning making headway into our lives in 2022.

2. Smart Homes

Since the first smart-phone was released, more consumer products have continued to become “smartified,” or in other words, being able to connect to the internet. It was only a matter of time until the home itself received such treatment. Since the Covid-19 pandemic started, many of us have spent much more time in our homes and many businesses have taken that as an opportunity to extend “smart-services” into our homes. We now have the ability to manage our home's climate control, turn lights off and on, lock our doors, and turn off the oven all with apps on our smart-phones and smart-watches. Expect 2022 to bring new advents in smart home technology.

3. Cryptocurrency

Back in the early 2010’s, Bitcoin exploded onto the economic scene as the first cryptocurrency. Since then it has started a wildfire of similar “coins” trying to establish themselves as an alternative to traditional fiat currency. The draw of crypto is multifaceted in that: it is decentralized, it is virtually impossible to counterfeit, and there are complex systems in place to certify the validity of transactions i.e. the blockchain. With an increasing number of people jumping at the chance to invest in or use cryptocurrency, more businesses are apt to accept it as a form of payment or even offer to pay their employees with it within the next year.

4. Encryption

With the increasing digitization of our lives, more people are concerned with how to keep their digital lives a part of their private lives. The most effective means of maintaining that privacy lies in encryption. Gone are the simple days of creating a strong password. A strong password isn’t enough anymore and that's where encryption comes in. To put it plainly, when you encrypt your data a complex algorithm makes your data unreadable unless you have a means to decrypt or decode the encryption. Encryption is extremely secure in providing privacy to both businesses and the general consumer and will most certainly be at the top of search engine hit lists in the next year.

5. Mixed Reality

Virtual reality left the pages of science fiction books a few years ago when the first gaming headsets were announced and released. While they have remained in a relatively niche market, they have begun to rise in popularity quickly. Augmented reality has become more commonplace in the interim years. From fun apps that replace your face with a monkey or put your child next to a dinosaur to seeing how a piece of furniture would look in your living room before you buy it. Mixed reality is a combination of the two and will likely be something to keep an eye on as Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse sets out to take the world by storm.

6. Electric Vehicles

The competition in the electric vehicle market will be heating up this coming year. Tesla will seemingly no longer have its stranglehold on the market as more automotive manufacturers make headway into marketing their consumer EV’s. Chevy’s new EV Silverado has piqued the interest of many with its exceptional 400 mile range on a charge. Though it comes with a hefty price tag, more competition in the market will ultimately lead to more economy friendly options in the future. With EV’s rising in popularity, the option for autonomous driving has become a major push in the automotive market. There will almost certainly be a boom in autonomous ride hailing services directly tied to the rise in electric vehicles.

Technology and business will continue to grow and adapt as new markets emerge in this new epoch we find ourselves in. We will likely look back in future years and divide much of this modernization and advancement into pre and post covid eras. Excitement should trend high as new eras and markets mean more opportunities for technological advancement, industry growth, and future economic booms.